


Joy In Growing Old

by JotDown



Category: Ao no Exorcist | Blue Exorcist
Genre: Brief mention of our fav twins, Follow-up to Shura's arc I ship these two so hard Mephisto is always watching someone, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-25
Updated: 2018-02-25
Packaged: 2019-03-24 01:45:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 475
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13800750
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JotDown/pseuds/JotDown
Summary: A mirror is the most telling, after all. Oneshot, complete. Hurt/Comfort; and happiness, cause man, do we need it after the recent chapter releases. Originally posted on fanfiction.net on 02/07/18





	Joy In Growing Old

Disclaimer: I own nothing. I give all credit and thanks to the talented Kazue Katō.

/

Chipped nails lingered in jagged nailbeds. Torn cuticles and rendered flesh. Once smooth and pointed, now bearing the evidence of recent strain; recent revelations—a testament of new freedom.

 _Freedom_.

An undecided smile from her reflection. Alien—had she ever looked like this?

 _No_. She decided, shifting her stance. _Because I thought my reflection would never be given time to change_.

No wrinkles; no worry or smile lines. Forever young. Her path had been set out by the first, the original, a linear objective handed down to each incarnation. In _his_ eyes they were one in the same after all.

Tan skin remained, before Shiro, she had never known one could even have pale flesh! A birth, then a childhood, of only outdoors. Indoors, bath times, and hugs were vague terms she gathered on the outskirts of society. A pause—glancing down again—

Studied the connecting tissue of joint and knuckle; connecting into a solid finger bone. Callouses wrapped around each individual finger—

 _Now these are familiar_. She mused—opening and closing her fist, feeling the stretch of rough skin as it pulled with each contraction of bone and muscle. They flowed down past unique genetic markers—

 _Fingerprints_. Shiro had taught her that word once.

Back when she had been learning a human language for the first time. Awkward in her mouth and heavy on her tongue.

 _A far cry from the hissing of snakes_.

Tears, also familiar, gathered in her eyes as she pressed an open palm to smooth glass. Her left hand rising to finger uncertainly— _feather-light_ , in newly shorn red hair.

_I can see past the next four years…for the first time….I can go anywhere…_

"Anywhere…", spoken out loud, with wonder.

Could have children, if she so wished it. New little souls, not just a vessel for the next unfortunate reincarnate born from an obsession.

 _My own fate_.

A smile, radiant as the sun, broke over her face.

 _I'm free! Thanks to those boys of yours, old man. You were right again, as always_.

Puffing a strand out of her face, she pouted cutely in the mirror—

 _Damnable old codger_. _I wonder what you would think of me...like this_.

She could almost smell the faint wisp of tobacco smoke and hear the rumble of knowing laughter.

Her smile brightened. _Just watch me, Shiro._

_/_

A telling smile played on curling lips. Speculating over clasped hands, slanted demon eyes marveled at the smoothness of revealing flesh. _Unmarked_.

 _Well, well_.

"You are looking remarkably _older_ Shura, my dear." There was _warmth_ and _fondness_ in the teasing.

Slapping her knee, straightening from her slouch, the Exorcist First-Class grinned back at the Japanese branch leader—

"Yer damn right I do!"

And she had no plans of stopping _ever_ again.


End file.
